Written and directed by Jonathan Bensimon and produced by Jonas Bell Pasht, Tokyo/Glow follows the nighttime journey of an illuminated man from a crosswalk sign as he embarks on an adventure through the streets of Tokyo. Shot on location throughout Tokyo using thousands of individual digital stills, the short film features original music by indie rock band Kidstreet, who recently signed with Nettwerk Records and will be releasing their debut album worldwide in 2010.

“We were excited to have the opportunity to collaborate on such a unique film project that captured the sensibility of The Generic Man, while offering a distinctive marketing opportunity for our company,” says Kevin Carney, partner at The Generic Man, who worked closely with filmmakers Bensimon and Bell Pasht to develop the concept for Tokyo/Glow. Adds partner Brandon Day, “Given our brand’s recent expansion into Asia, we are pleased to feature Tokyo so prominently in the film.”

To achieve the striking effect of the “illuminated man,” an original light suit was constructed using hundreds of feet of high-voltage LED rope lights and a translucent nylon outer shell. The production had its set of additional challenges, not the least of which was avoiding the Yakuza – Tokyo’s notorious mafia – while shooting extensively
in their territory without permission. “We wanted to capture our illuminated lead actor in some of Tokyo’s most cinematic night-time neighbourhoods, something which required a guerilla spirit,” says director Bensimon, who has directed spots for such major brands as McDonald’s, Axe, Molson and BMW. “Subtlety isn’t exactly an option when you’re walking through the mafia’s territory with a high-voltage human light source,” says producer Jonas Bell Pasht, who previously collaborated with Bensimon on the award- winning 2009 feature film You Might As Well Live.

“It is always hugely gratifying to see one of our directors collaborating on a project that affords so much freedom and creativity,” says Tina Petridis, owner and executive producer of Industry Films. “We are thrilled with the beauty and poignancy of the final product.”

Michael Lambermont, executive producer at Alter Ego in Toronto, oversaw the effects-heavy post-production process, which included weeks of extensive rotoscoping and compositing in the facility’s two Flame suites, plus a final colour grade, once the effects were complete. Geoff Ashenhurst, editor at Stealing Time, was charged with bringing the thousands of digital stills to life with director Bensimon.